Pontiac man sentenced to 6.5 years for child sex offences
Pontiac man sentenced to 6.5 years for child sex offences
An elderly Pontiac man was sentenced to 78 months in prison at the Campbell’s Bay Courthouse on January 9 for sex offences against a child. A publication ban is in effect for this case, meaning that certain identifying details are not made public in order to protect the privacy of the victim.
The Crown prosecutor in the case, Simon Pelletier, said that the victim was a child between the ages of 5 and 11. The case did not go to trial as the accused pleaded guilty to sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. Pelletier said that the victim’s mother testified at the hearing about the serious impact that the crime had on her child.
In addition to the 6.5 year prison sentence, the accused will be in the sexual offender registry for 20 years, will be banned from owning weapons for 10 years, will have to submit a DNA sample and for five years following his sentence will be banned from places where children may be found, such as parks or near schools. Pelletier explained some of the stipulations of being on the sex offender registry in Canada.
Pelletier said that the charges were laid about a year and a half ago, and the crimes took place over a period of time roughly five years ago. He called the sentence “substantial”, and explained that one of the mitigating factors was the fact that the accused pleaded guilty early on, thus avoiding a trial in which the victim would have to testify. The prosecution and defense thus negotiated the sentence and the judge accepted their joint position.
The Crime Victim Assistance Centers (CAVAC) is an organization that provide front-line services to any person who is a victim of a crime, their loved ones, and even to witnesses of a criminal act. In a 2022 interview with CHIP 101.9, Janie Landry of CAVAC in Pontiac explained that help is available, whether or not the perpetrator of the crime is identified, arrested or convicted. Even if no legal process has been initiated, CAVAC still offers services to victims. More details on CAVAC are available here.
